Updated 6:37 pm, Tuesday, July 11, 2017

TRACK AND FIELD: The Woodlands' Green named ALL-USA Boys Coach of the Year

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USA Today named The Woodlands' Juris Green the 2017 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Boys Track and Field Coach of the Year on Tuesday morning.

This past season, Green led The Woodlands boys team to its first state championship since 1999, when his father, Dan, was the coach.

Green also led The Woodlands boys cross country team to a state title, marking the first time a program has won both championships in the same school year.

"I feel so blessed to have a year like we did and thankful for our staff and our kids," Green said. "[We] certainly didn't have the idea that we were going to win two state titles. But, hard work - that's just all it is."

Green says part of his teams' success came in how they defined it. Rather than placing the emphasis on the final result, Green wanted his athletes to focus on the journey.

"What it comes down to is their development," Green said. "You never really know what that means until the results come. If your kids are improving and they are meeting their goals - I'd be just as happy if we didn't win any state championship this year, as long as our kids developed like they did. Sometimes there are just faster people out there, and you can't control what other people do."

With so many moving parts on a team, it can be difficult to find the right way to motivate each individual athlete. But the real challenge comes with how quickly coaches have to find it.

"Track has such a small window," Green said. "And as you go throughout the season, that window gets smaller and smaller. You have to have people perform at their ability and even exceed it. You have to put them in a position where they start to believe that there is something else left in the tank. It's one of the parts of coaching that we really enjoy."

Green got the most out of his athletes this season, and his team was rewarded with a state championship. However, he feels that even if he can get the same performance next season, it will be a challenge to defend one, let alone both, of the state titles.

"It would be foolish to think we could repeat like this," Green said. "That doesn't even register on my to-do list - just like it didn't register last year. Go to work, keep the kids motivated, and set some goals for them. The landscape changes every year. We could have the same effort next year and not be state champions at all."

Next year's chances aside, The Woodlands was very successful in 2016-17, and for a few more months Green can bask in the glow of a magical year.

"It was such a fantastic year," Green said. "I am so happy and was so blessed to be on the sideline watching it all."